


Nobody Ever Listens to a Skeptic

by NoisyNoiverns



Series: Jai Shepard [2]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Nonbinary Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-12 07:58:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4471451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoisyNoiverns/pseuds/NoisyNoiverns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three years ago, Shepard let the rachni go on Noveria. Now that the decision's come back to bite them in the ass, a certain politician has more than a few choice words for them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nobody Ever Listens to a Skeptic

_Shepard:_

_Return to the Citadel at once. I know exactly how long it takes to get from the docks to my office, and if you’re not here within that time, there_ will _be consequences._

_Ierian Sparatus_

_Representative of the Turian Empire to the Citadel Council_

Jai had read and re-read the message so many times they didn’t have to glance at their omni-tool to know every pixel of it. If there was one thing they knew, it was an angry message, and the councilor’s was _very_ angry. _Why_ , they had no idea. If they were lucky, they’d find out with minimal shouting. Turians were very good shouters.

The turian embassy was a lively place, with lots of chatter and what Jai assumed to be food. A massive bronze directed them to the councilor’s office at the opposite end of the embassy, mandibles flaring out in a gesture Jai hoped was turian body language for _I’m busy and you’re annoying me_ rather than _you poor sucker, I hope someone gets vid footage_ as time with Garrus had told them it almost certainly was.

Inside the office, there were twice as many councilors as Jai had been expecting- as well as Sparatus sitting at his desk, Valern was sitting on top of the couch by the window, playing with a loop of string. “Councilor Valern, sir?” Jai asked, wrinkling their brow. “Why are you here?”

“I’m the witness,” Valern grumbled, not looking up.

“What did I say, Shepard?” Sparatus said.

Jai’s head whipped around. “Sir?”

“Noveria, three years ago, the nonsense with Peak 15 and Matriarch Benezia. What did I fucking say?”

“I… You… _What?_ ” Had he woken up on the wrong side of the bed that morning?

Sparatus heaved a sigh so heavy the puff of air pushed his mandibles out. “Valern, the reports?”

Valern hummed and recited, “Reconnaissance units under First Lieutenant Morress Taerlan report mutated aliens whose base forms are strongly indicative of rachni. Samples of acid dropped by dead troops support this theory. Recommend live capture and study of specimens to confirm.”

“ _Live capture?_ ”

“You saw the facility on Sur’Kesh. This is what we do.”

Sparatus cleared his throat, and Jai turned back to find the old turian sneering at them, eyes gleaming with vindication.

_Rachni_.

_Oh_.

Sparatus’ mandibles flared up and out as the realization hit Jai. “I _told_ you letting the queen go was a bad plan. I _told_ you we’d all pay for your decision. But did anybody listen to me? _No_ , of _course_ not, nobody _ever_ listens to Sparatus, he’s just a cranky old man who hates everything without mandibles! He _never_ has a valid point about _anything!_ ”

Jai shrank as Sparatus continued ranting. They glanced to Valern, but no help there. He was still playing with his string, now with omni-tool extensions standing in for extra fingers. Wait, was that Jacob’s ladder? How did he… _Not the time, stupid_ , Jai scolded themselves. _Think_.

When Sparatus next paused for breath, they jumped in, stammering out, “Sir, in my defense, the queen _was_ on an isolated world, and she _did_ say she was trying to keep her promise until the Reapers showed up-“

“I’m sorry, I must have something blocking my ears, are you trying to downplay that _they’re there anyway?_ ”

“No, sir, not at all, but-“

“But nothing. The fact of the matter is, Commander, if you hadn’t let the rachni go, we wouldn’t be seeing walking cannons made from an ancient enemy!”

Jai opened their mouth to protest, then thought better of it and closed it again. They were in the middle of a war and, well, he did have a point.

Besides, they’d been around Garrus long enough to know the way his mandibles were tilting didn’t mean anything even close to good.

They nodded along as he continued ranting, then quickly gave a short little bow and head tilt the way they’d seen Garrus do it when he needed to kiss up. “Understood, sir. I’m really, truly sorry, sir. I didn’t predict this at all, and see the error of my ways now, sir,” they rattled off. Best to just appease him, tell him what he wanted to hear rather than continue defending themselves.

Sparatus let out a deep rumble that Jai swore they could feel in their teeth. “I bet,” he groused. “Get lost, Shepard.”

Jai didn’t need to be told twice. They about-faced faster than they could remember ever doing so and hurried out of the office. Behind them, they heard Valern drawl, “Well, love to stick around and chat, but Dalatrass Nolink is supposed to call in ten minutes, and she’s notorious for calling early to catch people off-guard. See you at lunch.”

They were maybe halfway to the elevator when Valern caught up to them. “Are you going to yell, too?” they asked, bracing for the worst.

Valern merely shrugged. “He covered it well enough. Besides, I know more than a few organizations who would have been happy to continue Peak 15’s work, so I doubt the rachni would have stayed dead for long had you killed the queen. This is just a new enemy to fight. We’ll adapt.”

Jai turned to look at him just as a little beeping at his wrist went off. He pulled up his omni-tool, glancing at them out of the corner of his eye as he added, “Try not to take Ierian to heart. Your face is still attached, so he’s not _too_ mad.”

Jai stopped dead and watched Valern trot off, answering his omni-tool. After a moment, they shook their head, then shoved their hands into their pockets and continued on towards the elevator, muttering, “Right, that’s _so_ reassuring…”


End file.
